


People throw rocks at things that shine

by Sandra_Taylor



Series: Squad Goals [5]
Category: Jurassic World (2015)
Genre: Kinda, M/M, New Year's Eve, POV Claire, POV Third Person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-12
Updated: 2018-07-12
Packaged: 2019-06-09 10:04:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15265110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sandra_Taylor/pseuds/Sandra_Taylor
Summary: It's New Year's Eve and the last person Claire expects to see on her way from the party home is Owen. But here they areBecause a lot of you raised very good questions about Claire that I admit I didn't really think through. This isn't supposed to be an excuse for what she did, just an explenation





	People throw rocks at things that shine

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't seen the new movie and for obvious reasons, it doesn't really play any part in this AU. Let's just pretend that nothing happens and our guys can actually live happily ever after, okay?

There’s a tradition for the New Year’s Eve in the Jurassic World. Not exactly favorite of the employees and true pain in the ass for everyone in management, but it’s a tradition Masrani insists upon. He even flies over himself for the occasion.

All that means to Claire, though, is that she has to be two steps in front of him and make sure that everything is working just fine.

It doesn’t help that Masrani insists that employees and visitors celebrate the New Year’s together in a restaurant in one of the hotel adapted for the occasion, with a small stage with a live band, some tables along the walls, and just enough dancing space that it all looks like some kind of dancing hall from the fifties. It’s a decision every employee hates with their entire being, but they tolerate it. Mostly because Claire then pretends not to notice when basically all of them disappear just after midnight.

She knows they all go to Paradise, a local music club closed for public for another two days. And yes, she’s aware what a cliché that name is. But the music club is a big difference from the improvised dancing hall and considering most of their stuff is around thirty, she’s not surprised that they prefer the club. Honestly, if she wasn’t so tired of people in general she’d like to join them, too. But it wouldn’t be good for the morale. Employees just need some space for themselves sometimes and she’d be just making it worse.

She has to give credit where credit’s due, though. The party is lovely and every visitor usually has a good time. Till midnight. Once her employees start disappearing the fun goes with them. Thankfully they don’t notice what exactly is the reason for that and leave happy and satisfied. It also means that by 3AM the hall is completely empty and she can send everyone their way. The hall is closed the next day, so the staff can worry about cleaning it later that day and enjoy their evening right now.

She’s tired, but even she can sleep in the next day. And she has a tradition of her own.

She doesn’t want to see people for at least twenty hours now, but she enjoys a quiet walk that late in the evening. Or early in the morning, she supposes. And while she could go through the center to her flat, she enjoys a walk through the nature. As long as she knows that nothing will eat her out there.

The New Year’s Eve party is always in the same hotel and she’s had this flat for years now, so she has her way planned. There’s this one glade on the way where she likes to stop and look up to the stars for a little while. She’s not really some sap who likes gazing at stars for fun, but once in a while it’s a nice sight.

Except this time there’s already someone else sitting on the grass gazing up at stars. She’s surprised, but with a resigned sigh goes check that that someone is still breathing and won’t die of alcohol poisoning till the morning.

She’s about three steps away when that someone turns towards her and she realizes that it’s Owen. Now she’s surprised.

Owen gives her a little wave and an unamused smile before turning back towards the stars. He’s leaning back on his elbows, half-lying in the grass. She just stares at him for a moment. If there’s one person she wasn’t expecting to find there, it’s Owen Grady.

“Come on,” he draws out, this time true amusement in his voice, “don’t get shy with me now. Come sit with me.”

She thinks for a moment about how she doesn’t really need to see stars this year and how if she comes home sooner she’ll be up earlier tomorrow and will be able to overview the cleaning crew. But that’s not really her responsibility.

She sits down, careful to sit with her legs close together in her tight skirt. But Owen doesn’t even look her way, just gets more comfortable. He doesn’t start talking, which is another surprise.

“I’d expect you in Paradise, not here.”

He snorts and she frowns. She hates the name of the club.

“I was there. I got bored,” he shrugs. Then he adds, much quieter: “Zach called.”

She stiffens but doesn’t comment.

Her and Owen don’t really move in the same circles, even while working on the same island. Earlier that day was the first time they were in the same room together since Zach left.

Owen wasn’t there to accompany him to the airport or even to say goodbye there, so she assumed that was the end of it. But then she went to her sister’s home for Christmas (and met her new boyfriend and briefly even his daughters). Zach still wasn’t happy with her, but that didn’t surprise her. She... might have overdone it during the holiday. That was clear by the lecture her sister gave her the first evening she was there. And it wasn’t even Zach who told his mother about it, it was Gray. She deserved it, she admits.

So yes, Zach’s cold behavior towards her was completely justified. But then there were the texts and the teasing.

Zach was glued to his phone. That’s not entirely new, either, but often he was smiling gently and that earned him some teasing from everyone around. Obviously, everyone knew that he found himself an older boyfriend on the island and that said boyfriend was Claire’s ex-boyfriend.

Claire asked her sister about that once. Karen admitted that when he had first told her she had been worried. Still was (is, if Claire can guess), but that it was Zach’s life and Zach’s decision and if she tried talking him into it, it would probably end in disaster. (Like her meddling in summer, she adds mentally.) The only thing she could do is accept it.

Claire... is starting to see her point.

“How is he?” she asks instead. That earns her a skeptical look. That’s all she gets for her trouble.

“Haven’t you seen him like three days ago?”

He has a point. She bristles at the bitterness in his voice for a moment. Then, she thinks about it.

They haven’t seen each other in four months. They’re still together, that much she knows from the way Zach reacted to all the gentle teasing from his family. He was almost never embarrassed and mostly just smiled shily in answer. It was the only time he truly looked his age.

She tries to imagine that. Being with someone, even if not for long, while being about four thousand miles away. And to make it worse, the person who spent her whole summer making sure they wouldn’t have a single minute to themselves just came back from seeing his boyfriend.

Suddenly, she’s not so angry about his bitterness. In fact, she’s a little surprised that there’s not more of it.

She doesn’t know how to answer. She didn’t handle herself well last summer, but she’s not sorry that she tried to protect her nephew. And admitting that Zach hardly spoke two words to her the whole Christmas feels like defeat. Though she knows for sure that he’s much more open with Owen than with her, she doesn’t want to talk to Owen about that.

“You going back to the party?”

There’s nothing really happening tomorrow. Everyone coming in for the New Year’s Eve was warned about that.

Owen’s quiet for a while, before finally looking at her.

“Nah, I don’t think so. It’s no fun when I’m not pulling,” he shrugs. “Besides, Zach sounded...”

“Drunk,” she finishes, unimpressed. Owen laughs at that, but nods.

“Yeah. I’ve got him to promise me that he’d get one of his friends to help him get home and then call me. I’ve been waiting for,” he quickly checks his phone, “thirty minutes already, so I’m gonna wait for him to tell me he’s safe in his bed before going home.”

He doesn’t ask if she wants to stay, but he also doesn’t tell her to get lost.

She looks at his face properly. He doesn’t seem annoyed or angry that he’s missing a party. He looks relaxed and content and he’s smiling a little, soft smile that’s kinda similar to Zach’s gentle one.

It doesn’t make sense, they don’t look alike at all. Owen’s all gruff and rough edges, while Zach’s all soft and round. She used to think that it’s mostly childhood fat, but now that he’s twenty she’s starting to realize that that’s just his features.

So yes, their smiles are nothing alike. Except they smile like that thanks to the other.

They’ve been together for five months and they haven’t seen each other for four of those. Yet they’re still together, still smiling like that about each other. It’s not just a flirt and it’s not just a summer fling.

“Well, I better go, then. I’m exhausted. See you around, Owen.”

“See you, Claire.”

Last summer she overreacted. But maybe, possibly, she’ll have a chance to do better this summer.

She remembers how Owen and Zach were the talk of the island for weeks after Zach left. She realized right then that if Owen cheated (which was one of her concerns, to be honest), she’d know about it. The whole island would know about it.

But he didn’t. For over four months (full of opportunities, she’s sure) he didn’t. And he smiles softly when he thinks about Zach. And he rather spends his time waiting for his call than dancing in a club.

Maybe he’s growing up.

She’ll still keep close eye on things. Just... maybe this time she will just watch, not interfere.

**Author's Note:**

> Like I said, this isn't supposed to excuse what Claire did during the summer. It's supposed to explain it and maybe show her thought process about their relationship and its progress. Mostly because Claire isn't going away any time soon, and neither is their relationship.
> 
> I promise I have more planned and I sincerely hope that Claire's little protective act didn't turn you away from this serie.  
> No promises about when next update will be, but it is coming.
> 
> Bonus points to anyone who recognized the title!


End file.
